Mayor Hau suggested last week that if the KMT — of which he is a member — loses the year-end elections, President Ma Ying-jeou should step down as the party chairman.

In response to Hau's words, several KMT heavyweights criticized Hau for his apparent lack of faith in the party's prospect in the upcoming elections. Party spokesman Yang Wei-chung (楊偉忠) stated that despite the harsh challenges in store, the KMT is still confident and cannot be beaten by the "defeatism" of Hau.

While President Ma did not openly criticize the Taipei mayor's suggestion, he said last week that local government chiefs should express with discretion comments that "do not help build unity."

President Ma, Vice President Wu Den-yi (吳敦義) and the elder Hau attended a Chinese New Year celebration event at the Armed Forces Officers Club yesterday, where Hau spent his time explaining his side of the story.

Local media reported that Ma made the unscripted comments in his address at the event on Taiwan's plan to phase out conscription and the nation's reform on its military trial system.

Former Premier Hau criticized both policies on Saturday.

"We are in a different era now, the form of war is also a different now," Ma said, explaining the need for shifts in military policies.

In addition, the elder Hau was reportedly furious at the implication that his son had hinted the KMT would undoubtedly suffer a defeat. "Everyone is stressed about the elections this year. If someone suggests that people should be cautious and work harder, how is this defeatism?" Hau demanded.

"Defeatism means surrender, which is what Wang Jingwei (汪精衛) was responsible for. No person in Taiwan is like Wang. (My son) was only trying to encourage the party, those who had criticized him are ignorant and do not know what defeatism means," said Hau, referencing Wang Jingwei, the leader of the Japanese puppet government in China during World War II.

Mayor Hau noted that although he had not discussed the matter with his father, he was sure that they were on the same page regarding the defeatism issue.

Ma-Xi Meeting is Impossible: Hau

The elder Hau also lauded the positive nature of the meeting held between China's Taiwan Affairs Office Minister Zhang Zhijun (張志軍) and Mainland Affairs Council Minister Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦), saying that the meeting was a good omen, but Taiwan and China still have a long way to go.

"It will be a long time until Ma meets Xi Jinping, president of the People's Republic of China. Even if they met now, the problems will not be solved immediately," said Hau.

Former Premier Hau Pei-tsun (郝柏村) greets members of the Armed Forces Officers Club in Taipei, yesterday. During the club's Chinese New Year group greeting session, Hau defended his son, Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌), after the Kuomintang accused him of defeatism. (CNA)